Preview: Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

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IGN previews some of the changes implemented for Donner's edition of the classic comic book adaptation, soon on DVD.

By Todd Gilchrist

Just to make things absolutely clear, this is NOT a review. Full coverage of the release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut will appear in coming weeks, but last night in Los Angeles the Director's Guild of America and Warner Home Video hosted the premiere of the film for its cast and crew, including Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Sarah Douglas, Marc McClure, and director Richard Donner. Following a red-carpet reception, WHV ran the feature and offered a panel discussion with the key participants in its making and ultimate reconstruction for the DVD, which is scheduled for release November 28, 2006.

While the event's assembly of talent was certainly intoxicating, the film itself is a remarkable artistic accomplishment: using Donner's previously discarded negatives, which were discovered beneath some six tons of disorganized footage, the director and his editor carefully reworked the movie using the original shooting script. The film is a radically different vision of Superman that not only holds true historically to the conception of the franchise but to director Donner's approach to the material; in addition to helming both of the movies back-to-back, he tackled the comic book source material from a sincere rather than cynical or detached perspective - which is readily apparent from the very first frame.

Indeed, Superman II as directed by Donner, is a funnier, scarier, and more compelling picture. Much of Marlon Brando's scenes were jettisoned when A Hard Day's Night filmmaker Richard Lester took over, and here they are gloriously restored: after Jor-El sentences General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his minions to an eternity in the Phantom Zone, they are released when they accidentally collide with a rocket Superman sends into space while saving the world from Lex Luthor's latest evil scheme. Back on Earth, meanwhile, Lois makes a curious discovery when she doodles a pair of glasses and a fedora over a picture of Superman, and proceeds to accuse co-worker Clark of being the big blue boy scout.

Despite his staunch denials, she leaps out a window of the Daily Planet; and while technically speaking Superman does actually save the day, he does so with just enough subtlety to leave the reporter wondering if she shouldn't have checked her facts more closely.

Many of the theatrical cut's most famous scenes have been removed completely, including the Eiffel Tower sequence that opens the movie (which provides Zod and co. with an escape from the Phantom Zone) and the scene where Lois leaps into Niagara Falls in order to force Clark to reveal his true identity. But the ones that replace them are no less interesting, and in fact enhance the conflict Superman feels about telling Lois who he is, and ultimately, making the choice to give up his powers for the woman he loves. A post-coital scene where Lois wears Superman's short is particularly fascinating, but it's indicative of the more mature and sincere tone that Donner took with the story.

Additionally, two key scenes between Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando highlight the struggle that Superman faces by remaining anonymous, and are truly reason enough to see this cut. In the first, Superman argues that he deserves the same kind of life that he fights to protect, and wonders how many sacrifices will be enough to make his own happiness worth pursuing; in the second, the father cowers the son and forces him to make a difficult decision after observing that there are some mistakes that cannot be unmade. The raw emotional energy of these scenes is all but completely absent from the theatrical cut, and their restoration creates a much deeper conflict than the superficial motions of showing super action and besting bad guys.

There are also plenty of other changes that expand the palette of Superman's adventures, including Non's transformation from villainous comic relief to silent, destructive force; Lex Luthor's self-aggrandizing, hair-trigger sense of humor; the elimination of many of the showier special effects used to signify Superman's loss of powers, the intensification of Zod's violence against humanity, including some wanton assassinations at the White House; and a long-overdue denouement that offers closure to Lois and Superman's relationship while transitioning into the imminent future installments.

As mentioned above, much more will be written in coming weeks about the release of this and all of the Superman films, but IGN is proud to offer a glimpse at some of the changes that were implemented in the Donner Cut, and look forward to delving even more deeply into the Super-lore as the DVD release approaches. Stay tuned to IGN DVD for more news, interviews and reviews about this and other exciting new releases.